Even though drop sets don’t build much more muscle overall, they do it faster — you get the same tiny muscle gain in less time, which is great if you’re short on workouts.
Scientific Claim
The Tonal 1 drop-set protocol produces significantly greater muscle hypertrophy per minute of training time than traditional resistance training, making it a more time-efficient method for building elbow flexor muscle.
Original Statement
“Elbow flexor hypertrophy per unit of training time was significantly greater in the DROP condition -0.01 cm·min⁻¹ [95% CI: -0.02, -0.01; p = 0.0005; 1.86%], and the contrast was considered meaningful as it exceeded the smallest effect size of interest (0.01 cm·min⁻¹).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
probability
Can suggest probability/likelihood
Assessment Explanation
The study design supports causal claims about time efficiency, but the authors use probability language appropriately given blinding uncertainty. The effect is both statistically and practically significant, warranting cautious but confident phrasing.
More Accurate Statement
“The Tonal 1 drop-set protocol likely produces significantly greater muscle hypertrophy per minute of training time than traditional resistance training, making it a more time-efficient method for building elbow flexor muscle.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Investigating the Effect of the Tonal Drop Set Mode On Elbow Flexor Hypertrophy
The Tonal drop-set method didn’t build more total muscle, but it built just as much muscle in less time—making it a faster way to get results.